Justification and Approval_36C10X21A0006_Redacted.pdf

Department of Veterans Affairs Simplified Acquisition Sole Source Justification and Approval

1. Contracting Activity: The Contracting Activity responsible for this procurement is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Procurement Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL), Strategic Acquisition Center –Frederick (SAC-F), located at 5202 President’s Court, Suite 103, Frederick, MD 21703.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: The proposed sole source action is for a twelve-month, firm-fixed price (FFP) contract with four twelve-month option periods for the Prosci enterprise organizational change competency license, change management training, and train-the-trainer training.

The total estimated value of the proposed action is $1,925,000.00, inclusive of options.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The Prosci change management methodology is currently operational and utilized by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Center for Organization Development (NCOD) and the Office of Healthcare Transformation (OHT). The proposed action is to provide enterprise-wide subscription access to Prosci organizational change management methodology and associated resources (e.g., presentations, assessments, and training curricula) that OHT requires in order to enhance services to help VA become better equipped to implement organizational change.

The subscription will allow anyone within the VHA organization permission to use Prosci’s change management methodology, tools, and training materials for VHA users across the system.

Currently fielded VHA applications are compatible with Prosci’s fully integrated and customizable methods, research, and toolsets. To support the dissemination of this methodology within VHA, OHT also seeks to purchase enrollment for up to ten (10) staff members to become Prosci-certified instructors through Prosci’s train-the-trainer program, as well as enrollment for up to 100 VHA staff members to become Prosci Certified Change Practitioners through Prosci’s Change Management Certification Program.

OHT’s change management consultation service is based entirely on Prosci’s methodology, which combines a framework for individual change readiness (the proprietary Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement (ADKAR) model) with strategies, tactics, and tools for facilitating change at the organizational level. This set of resources and training is only available through Prosci, a company that has developed the proprietary, research-based, change management model and supporting tools that is the foundation of OHT’s change management approach.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition: Pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S. Code § 1901 as implemented by FAR 13 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501(a).

5. Validity of Use of Statutory Authority: Since 2013, VHA, through NCOD and now OHT, has provided individual, project-based consultation using proprietary Prosci methods and tools, which were available through prior investments in Prosci’s individual user licenses and basic certification training. To help the VHA organization become more skillful at implementing change on a broader level, VHA needs to expand beyond this type of project-based consultation (where a VHA client works directly with an NCOD consultant on a single project), to one in which VHA can develop local capacity to support changes directly and consistently. This new method will use “common language” for change, through the Prosci’s ADKAR model and tools.

VHA has spent the past several years using ADKAR as the foundation of change management services. Building its expertise in Prosci’s change management methodology and promoting these concepts in both client work and in large-scale presentations, which ultimately will build awareness of and desire to apply this method to various critical VHA projects and initiatives. In this next phase, OHT will work to build a network of change agents and change sponsors through training and consultation. As such, OHT requires qualified individuals to teach these methods to VHA employees in a cost-effective way to enable VHA employees and leaders to have permission to access currently fielded Prosci change management tools and updates as they occur. These licensed tools and training materials are only available through Prosci.

VHA has already invested in a five-year site license, with updates, at a cost of $479,000.

Additionally since 2016, more than 25 VHA employees have completed the Prosci Train-the- Trainer course, at a cost of $4,500/person; more than 150 staff completed the basic certification training at a cost of $2,160/person; and more than 115 VHA staff have been trained using internal resources available through the site license.

The time invested for the NCOD and OHT staff to learn the Prosci approach has been considerable. The consultant team members have spent time preparing for and attending the certification class, reviewing materials and concepts through in-service retreats and peer coaching, and on-the-job application of these methods in working with clients. Combined, there have been hundreds of work hours devoted to learning and practicing these methods throughout

VHA.

NCOD has been working closely with various VA partners to promulgate awareness of and desire to incorporate change management methods into routine practice. Earlier in 2016, NCOD presented the Prosci methodology to VHA National Leadership Council and partnered with VHA program offices (Office of Policy and Planning, Office of Strategic Integration) to apply Prosci change management concepts and tools in support of VHA’s operational plan. Starting over with another method would result in a at least a six-month delay to support VHA’s organizational objectives as all VHA staff would need training and practice in a different approach. Developing awareness and gaining buy-in, from VHA senior leadership, for a new method/approach would cause an added time delay not included in the above referenced six months.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: In accordance with FAR 5.203(a), the Government published a “Notice of Intent” to sole source a contract to the Government Point of Entry site, www.SAM.Beta.gov, and received no responses.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: There is adequate price history for analysis. The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated price will be fair and reasonable based on historic pricing and examination of the current and future needs of VA.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: Prosci’s change management methodology